Holguin, Cuba

Holguin, Cuba

Carnival on St. Thomas

Carnival on St. Thomas

Sea horses in the Bahamas.

Sea horses in the Bahamas.

Picture perfect picture of Jamaica

Picture perfect picture of Jamaica

Caribbean travel reviews

Bridging the gap in Haiti

Only three hours in Haiti, I'd seen forms of travel that spanned hundreds of years – a woman on a mule, a man on a horse, people walking, riding bicycles and on mopeds, brightly colored ...

Vacation Evolutis

A (literal) getaway in Haiti.

The majority of non-business travel is for one special thing, “Vacation.” The word within the word vacation is "vacate" ("4. an act or an instance of vacating," Merriam-Webster), so by extension looking at it as ...

En Route in Port-au-Prince

A first impression following the 3-year anniversary of the quake.

I stepped off the plane and onto the tarmac, directed toward a small white building with bright blue lettering: "Toussaint Louverture." The massive cracks in the side of the building were visible even before we ...

Must-see Colombia

Get off the tourist track and see undiscovered Caribbean coast.

Most of the Caribbean has long since lost its authenticity, being overrun by cruise ships, high-pressure touts and one too many Jimmy Buffet wannabes. But there are still a few places where you can find ...

La Vida Tranquila: A Family's Pursuit of Paradise

Escaping suburban America for the tiny island of Útila, Honduras.

(Originally appeared as a 9/4/12 blog entry at HuffingtonPost.com.) In 1998, I left a boyfriend who admitted he couldn't commit to anything more than putting food in the cat's bowl. We were in our early ...

A Return to Cuba

As I walked through U.S. customs down the hall and out the electric doors into the Los Angeles sunlight, I was excited to see my mother. My mother, upon seeing me, both smiled and then ...

U.S. Virgin Islands: Domestic Caribbean

The Virgin Islands are a great travel destination. While the islands are American territories, accept U.S. dollars, and speak English, there remains an exotic, faraway flavor about them. West Indian culture strongly influences the islands ...

Havana with my Father: “Por la Izquierda”

As usual, my father disappeared while I was still sleeping. For a second, I wondered what a 65-year-old tourist would be doing alone in the middle of Havana at 8 in the morning. Then I ...

Jamaica – A Family Visit

Wow. Where to even begin. My grandmother was born and raised in St. Catherine Parish, Jamaica. For as long as I can remember, she's always described Jamaica as "a beautiful and fun place." This summer, ...

The Bob Marley Mausoleum in Nine Mile, Jamaica

Stashed high above the brilliant turquoise waters of the Caribbean lies the small village of Nine Mile. Protected from the majority of rum-swilling tourists by a seemly impossible narrow curving road, the hamlet is home ...

Five Memorable Day Trips in Puerto Rico

1. Old San Juan. With its well preserved Spanish colonial-style architecture, Old San Juan continues to charm locals and visitors alike. Lively nightlife can be found in and around the city, and if you like ...

Americans in Cuba?

It’s easier for Americans to get to Cuba then you might think. There are several points of departure – one of the best is Cancun, Mexico, offering daily flights to Havana. With an abundance of ...

River Hiking in Dominica

One by one, our group of eight slipped into the cool rushing water of Dominica’s Dublanc River. Cool and invigorating, the water rushed by us like soft jets from a Jacuzzi. After a 45-minute trek ...

El Yunque National Forest, Puerto Rico

To see the sights of the only tropical rainforest in the U.S. National Forest System, start by driving on a winding, mountainous road through the lush greenery known as El Yunque in Puerto Rico. If ...

Constanza and El Castillo, Dominican Republic

The Dominican Republic is a rich tapestry of colors, geography, cultural influences, even climate – all enhanced by a rich history. Upon its discovery in 1492, it was described as a “paradisiacal island of high ...